Bukhara Fleeceflower

Fallopia baldschuanica is cultivated as a trellis and garden plant; it escapes infrequently in the flora area. Plants with white or greenish white flowers and papillate or scabrid inflorescence axes have been recognized as F. aubertii.

Reported from S. Waziristan, Razmak by R.R.Stewart, l.c.; seems to be a rare introduction.

Vines, perennial, not rhizomatous, 3-10 m. Stems climbing, branched from near base, woody, glabrous, not glaucous. Leaves: ocrea usually deciduous, hyaline or brownish, cylindric, 3-8 mm, margins truncate to oblique, face glabrous throughout; petiole 1-4 cm, glabrous or scabrid; blade narrowly ovate to ovate-oblong, 3-10 × 1-5 cm, base subcordate or cordate to sagittate, margins entire or wavy, glabrous or scabrid, apex obtuse to acuminate, abaxial face glabrous or scabrid along midvein, rarely minutely dotted, not glaucous, adaxial face glabrous. Inflorescences axillary and terminal, spreading or drooping, paniclelike, 3-15 cm, axes glabrous or papillate to scabrid in lines; peduncle 1-3 cm, glabrous or scabrid. Pedicels ascending or spreading, articulated proximal to middle, 1.5-4 mm, glabrous or scabrid. Flowers bisexual, 3-6 per ocreate fascicle; perianth accrescent in fruit, greenish white with white wings or mostly pink, sometimes bright pink in fruit, 5-8 mm including stipelike base, glabrous; tepals elliptic, apex obtuse to rounded, outer 3 winged; stamens 6-8; filaments flattened proximally, pubescent proximally; styles connate basally; stigmas peltate. Achenes included, dark brown to black, 2-4 × 1.8-2.2 mm, shiny, smooth; fruiting perianth glabrous, wings flat to undulate, 2-4 mm wide at maturity, decurrent on stipelike base nearly to articulation, margins entire. 2n = 20 (Korea).

Perennial herb, stem usually trailing to several meters, scandent on trees, the lower part woody, bark brownish gray with numerous lenticels, young branches angled with prominent ribs which bear few small glands, petiole 2-4 cm long, leaf blade oblong-ovate, cordate at base, 2.5 - 9 x 1.5 - 5.5 cm, with 1-2 sinuses, margin obsoletely crenulate; ochreae pellucid, cylindric, appressed to stem, margin sometimes cartilagineous. Inflorescence paniculate, up to 50 cm long. Flowers 5-8 mm in diameter, bright pink, turning reddish. Stamens 8, filaments pubescent in lower part. Perianth deeply partite; with a decurrent base. Pedicel 4-12 mm long, jointed at the middle or nearer the base. Bracts oval, acute, c. 2 mm long, fruiting perianth oboval or obcordate, c. 12 x 10 mm, white or roseate, wings c. 3 mm broad. Nut c. 4 mm long, acute with strongly concave faces, rather dull dark brown.

introduced; Calif., Colo., Md., Mass., Mich., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., Pa., Utah, Va., Wash.; c Asia; introduced in Central America (Costa Rica), Europe.

Distribution: C. Asia: Pamir Alai, Pakistan (Wazirstan).

Flowering Aug-Sep.

Disturbed sites; 0-1600m.

Polygonum baldschuanicum Regel, Trudy Imp. S.-Petersburgsk Bot. Sada 8: 684. 1884; Bilderdykia aubertii (L. Henry) Moldenke; B. baldschuanica (Regel) D. A. Webb; Fallopia aubertii (L. Henry) Holub; Polygonum aubertii L. Henry; Reynoutria baldschuanica (Regel) Moldenke

Polygonum baldschuanicum Regel in Hort. Petrop. 8: 684. 1883; Kom., Fl. URSS 5: 699. 1936; Schiman-Czeika & Rech.f. in Rech.f., Fl. Iran. 56: 51. 1968; R.R.Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm. Himal. 204. 1972; Bilderdykia baldschuanica (Regel) D.A.Webb, Feddes Repert. 68: 188. 1963; in Tutin et al., Fl. Europ. 1: 81. 1964.